Manley goes to NMSU

Below is Wes Nakama’s article from yesterday’s Honolulu Advertiser. What the article does not mention is the fact that UH is loaded with QBs and based on needs can only allot one scholarship for that position. In August the coaching staff contacted all the QB prospects and told them that they were only going to take 1 QB this year and the first one who signs would get that scholarship. Being the only local prospect, Manley was contacted first but he told UH that he wanted to wait and explore is other options. Kevin Spain was next and he jumped at the chance and immediately accepted.

Two years ago Manley was a top prospect. Many projected him as a 4-5 star however he has improved very little since his sophmore season and it was a good thing that he did not accept in August and again after the season when UH offered him a gray-shirt. Manley has a big arm but his poor footwork and lack of mobility are big concerns. He also throws too many interceptions at the highschool level and that means he is a major project for the R & S. Mac needs players that can contribute immediately and has no time for players that may take 3-4 years to develop.

Honolulu Advertiser Article on 12/22/09

Leilehua quarterback Andrew Manley, who just completed one of the most celebrated high school football careers in recent Hawai'i history, said yesterday he has made a verbal commitment to play for New Mexico State University.


Manley, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound strong-armed right-hander, told The Advertiser he gave his commitment to New Mexico State head coach DeWayne Walker while watching Saturday's Dallas Cowboys-New Orleans game on TV.

"I was talking to (Aggies) defensive line coach Jesse Williams and he said I could come in and compete for the starting quarterback job," Manley said. "I said I was ready to commit, and he put (Walker) on the phone."

Manley said it was the only scholarship offer he received for next season.
He said Hawai'i offered him a chance to attend classes part time in the fall (paying his own way and not playing football) with the possibility of receiving a full scholarship in January 2011 — a process called "grayshirting" — but he opted to take New Mexico State's immediate scholarship offer instead.

"UH wanted me to grayshirt, but there's no guarantee with that and I could end up with nothing," Manley said. "New Mexico State had been talking to me the past couple weeks, since the (Hawai'i/Polynesia vs. Mainland) all-star game, and I liked what they offered. I thought it would be the best for me."

Manley burst on to the local football scene two years ago, when he was called up from the JV during the O'ahu Interscholastic Association playoffs and led Leilehua to five straight victories, including the school's first state championship.

2009 UH Season Recap

Hawaii’s 51-10 loss to Wisconsin was disappointing and down right embarrassing. Warrior fans knew Wisconsin would be tough but never thought the score would end up as it did last Saturday. Hawaii was completely dominated in all phases and the difference in talent was clearly exposed for millions to see on ESPN2. Making matters worse, the team did not show up and started off flat from the beginning. Coach Mac’s decision to have seniors greet their parents before the game showed poor judgment and could have been the reason for the team’s abysmal start.

In the past Hawaii always gave power house opponents like Wisconsin a run for their money in Aloha Stadium and on rare occasions even pulled out a stunning victory. This year’s team bucked past history and seemed to shrink in the face of adversity with the Navy game being the only exception and bright spot. The 2009 Warriors can best be described as an average team that found a way to underachive.

Now that the 2009 season is finally over, Coach Mac and his staff can devote all energies to recruiting. National Letter of Intent Day is right around the corner and UH must bring in impact players. The defense has major holes to fill and the offensive line needs to be completely rebuilt. QB is also an issue because 5’8” Bryant Moniz is clearly not the answer. His sling-shot arm and short stature are not the most desireable attributes for a successful R & S QB. Hopefully in 2010, Mac will open up the competition and give someone else a fair shot at the position. Last year he locked the position to Greg Alexander and that was a big mistake as Moniz proved to be futher ahead in his grasp of the offense. The Warriors must also an upgrade the receiver position and bring in speed to compliment the slow possession types currently on the roster. Whoever Mac ends up bringing in this recruiting season must be able to contribute immediately. This means the bulk of the recruits should be Jucos. Mac cannot mess around with highschool players because he may not have the time to develop them. Next year is a make or break season and the odds are stacked against him.

This is why the program is regressing. By evaluating the returning players it is clearly evident that Hawaii suffers from a Lack of Talent (LOT). Good teams reload, average teams rebuild, and declining teams need major overhauls. UH is somethere between 2 and 3.

Below is a list of returners that have D1 level ability:

Offense

QB – Maybe Freshman Cayman Shutter

HB – Alex Green (if he learns how to block)

Offensive line – Laupepa Letuli (if he is granted an extra year)

WR – Greg Salas


Defense

DE – Paipai Falemalu/Liko Satele

DT – Vaughn Maetoga

LB – Brashton Satele – (if he is granted an extra year), George Daily-Lyles maybe

DB – Spencer Smith, Jeremy Bryant, Kawika Ornellas

The list is not long at all and that is why Hawaii fans are deeply concerned. The Hawaii roster is mainly made up of sub D1 talent and walk-ons and it not only shows in the team’s on-field performane but also in the jerseys that look strangely similar to that of FCS Portland State. In two short years, Mac has managed to tranform gold into lead taking a BCS buster team to the verge of simply busting. Let’s hope Mac proves us wrong and turns this thing around. All Hawaii fans need is another Von Mackin; sorry I mean Von Appen.

Wisconsin

Four weeks ago, Hawaii was 2-6 and coming off a 6 game losing streak. If you asked anyone back then about the Warrior’s chances for a Hawaii Bowl, they would have laughed and thought you were crazy for even asking the question. But the team has somehow managed to turn things around and the Warriors are now one game away from a Hawaii Bowl appearance on Christmas.

Last Saturday’s victory over Navy was very impressive. For once in the McMackin era, the team finally had a complete game looking solid in all three phases. If not for Jackson’s fumble, Kia’s usual penalty, and the dumb decision by McMackin to go for it on 4th and 1 on the Navy 20, the game would have been error free.

Besides excellent execution, the Warriors had a Navy’s number that night. Many credit the success of defensive scheme to D-Line coach Dave Arranda. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Arranda enlisted the help of over a dozen coaches throughout the country for advice on stopping the triple option. His dilligent efforts paid off as the Warriors shut out Navy in the second half. The scheme looked very similar to what the Miami Hurricanes used against Georgia Tech earlier in the season.

Hawaii right now is very confident and believes they can beat anybody. Traditionally the Warriors have been great late in the season and this year is turning out to be no exception.
Wisconsin is bigger, more physical, and loaded with better athletes but a hungry Hawaii team at home late in the season is always dangerous. Just ask BYU, Purdue, Northwestern, Alabama, and Michigan State.

The keys for the game are simple. Hawaii must play with the same intensity as it did last week and if they do, things should be very competitive. The O-line like always must protect Moniz. The emergence of Kealoha Pilares will definitely help the offense as Moniz will no longer have rely so heavily on Salas for offensive production. If Wright-Jackson and Green can do their part and get the running game going, Hawaii should be able to hang some points against the Badgers. This game will be close so every point will matter. Hawaii must take easy field goals when they can and not be lured into going for it on 4th down. McMackin needs to coach his “smartest” game of the season and not fall victim to his emotions.

Defensively the team is in for a challenge. Wisconsin has a huge line and big play running back John Clay has the potential to score every time he touches the football. Even though the Warriors appear to be outmatched on Defense, they will be ready schematically and just need to play an intense 60 minutes football. With an emotional head coach, a Hawaii Bowl appearance riding on this game and a packed Aloha Stadium, maintaining the intensity should not be a problem.

This week looks to be very interesting especially since the Badgers are coming off a very disappointing season. Beginning the year, Wisconsin had Rose Bowl aspirations. Those hopes were dashed with consecutive loses to Ohio State and Iowa and last weeks loss to Northwestern was the nail in the coffin, knocking the Badgers out of the top 25. Now even a mid-level bowl may be in question for this underachieving team. Coach Bilema better have his troops ready this Saturday otherwise their Hawaii vacation may turn into an ambush at Aloha Stadium. Aloha means hello, good bye, and thank you. Hopefully this Saturday it will be Hawaii saying the thank yous.

Navy

At the beginning of the season we knew this one was going to be a tough one. Everyone who plays a well run triple option attack knows how difficult it is to stop. Just ask Corwin Brown and Charlie Weiss of Notre Dame who lost to the Midshipmen the past two years.
Besides the #3 rushing attack and highest graduation rate in the nation, Navy also has a passing game this year. Jr. QB Ricky Dobbs is considered to be Navy’s best passer over the last decade. If the Navy ground game wasn’t enough, the Warriors now have to worry about getting beat through the air as #4 can realy sling the rock.

For this game, coach Mac and Defensive Coordinator Cal Lee only need to visit to the Hawaii film room for the scouting report on Navy. Throughout the 1990’s, UH ran Paul Johnson’s triple option attack and it was this offense which gave Hawaii its first WAC title and Holiday Bowl Victory. This offense was able to effectively move the ball on the ground as well as the air using small undersized athletes nobody wanted. When the highly ranked BYU Cougars rolled into town nearly 20 years ago with Heisman Trophy Winner, Ty Detmer, they found out all about the Johnson triple option attack. That night Hawaii QB Garrett Gabriel looked more like the Heisman trophy Winner passing for nearly 400 yards on the Cougar defense. BYU was expecting a heavy dose of the run but little did they know that they would get killed through the air.

Johnson is no longer at Navy but neverthless his successor and star pupil, Kenny Niumatalolo is carrying on the legacy. At 8-3 Navy, is again bowl bound and scaring everyone they face. On Saturday, the Midshipmen are favored by 9 but many feel it should be more.

The keys for the game are simple. Offensively the Warriors must protect Moniz and keep the chains moving. If Hawaii continues to go 3 and out like they did last week at San Jose, it will be a long night with Navy quickly running away with the score. Hawaii must outscore Navy to have any chance of winning.

Defensively, the interior linemen need to hold point and stop the dive play. Maetoga, Savaiianea, and Tufaga must have the game of their lives and assert their physical dominance. The bread and butter for Navy is the dive and much of their success feeds off their success with the interior run game. Strong interior play will help the linebackers and secondary who must play smart assignment football and avoid being out of position. The cut blocks and occaisional deep pass are also something that the Warriors should be concerned about.

Can Hawaii win and be one step closer to a bowl on Christmas Day? The answer is yes but the Warriors will need to play almost perfect tomorrow. That means no stupid penalties, turnovers and fooling coaching decisions. If they decide to go for it on 4th and 10 inside Navy’s 25 yard line instead of opting for the easy 3, then for sure Coach Mac will be opening presents with the grand kids on Christmas Day instead of preparing to face June and SMU.

San Jose State Preview

The San Jose State Spartans are 1-8 with their only victory coming over an FCS opponent. Spartan's Head Coach Dick Tomey will resign at the end of the season and wants desperately wants to beat his old team one final time. UH has had problems on the road and the Warrior’s leading receiver and starting QB are questionable for Saturday’s game. Hawaii’s next two games will be against Navy and Wisconsin and they may be looking past San Jose. This week’s game has the potential to be very worrisome and an over confident Warrior team may not find their way past San Jose.

Listed as 3 point favorites, Hawaii should take care of business because the Spartans are down right bad. They cannot move the ball and have not stopped anyone all year. UH however has had a history of playing poorly on the road and we all know what happened last year when the Warriors stumbled over another one win team in Logan UT.

The keys for the the game are simple. Offensively they need to protect Moniz and his bruised ribs. Other receivers must take up the slack for Salas who will likely see limited action due to his sprained ankle. Defensively the Warriors just need to make tackles and not give up big plays. San Jose will probably shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers and that will no doubt help the defense.

The Warriors should win this Saturday and be one step closer to a reunion with June Jones. Final score Hawaii 31 San Jose State 14.

New Mexico State

Last week Utah State dared Hawaii to run and that is what Hawaii did against a 3-man front and 8 men dropping in coverage. If the Warriors had run for anything less than 250 yards, I would be concerned. Don’t count on the same this week, as any D-coordinator with half a brain would not dare duplicate the Utah State game plan. Aggie Head Coach Dewayne Walker is smart enough to not let that happen this week.

This Saturday calls for heavy thunder showers and Hawaii as 20 point favorites. My money is on the weather man and not Hawaii. The Warriors have traditionally played poorly when heavy favorites. New Mexico State has no chance of winning but if the Warriors don’t take care of business it could end up close.

The keys to the game are simple. The offense needs to score and all of that starts with protecting Moniz. Last week was an anomaly and will not happen again for another 100 years so don’t expect the Warriors to turn into a running team from now on. Defensively Hawaii needs to make tackles and force turnovers.

Looking ahead the Warriors have San Jose State on the road and that game is very winnable. The Spartans are struggling to put it mildly and Dick Tomey’s Offense doesn’t scare anyone. The week after San Jose, UH faces Navy and the Triple Option. This one will be tough but not impossible. Coach Mac is a better Defensive Coordinator than Mr. “Sour Grapes” Corwin Brown of Notre Dame. The question will be: can the Hawaii Linebackers execute the game plan? They have failed miserably all year in stopping the run. Finally to wrap up the season is Wisconsin. If there is anybody left on defense after the Navy game, then Warriors will have a chance. Hawaii’s run and shoot in the past has matched up well against Big 10 defenses designed to stop the run so scoring should not be a problem. If the defense can force a few turnovers, things may get very interesting.

Hawaii’s chances for a bowl appearance are nearly impossible and many have already written the team off. Some of us are still not giving up. Just imagine a Hawaii Bowl against June Jones and SMU. Gandalf versus Bilbo. That would be a great Christmas present! The first step is taking care of business this Saturday. As long as the team does not fall flat on its face like OG Ray Hisatake did last week coming out of the tunnel, then things should go as planned for now at least.

Utah State Previes

Two years ago the Warriors were undefeated and preparing to make its first BCS appearance. Tonight Hawaii is 2-6, winless in the WAC and 2 ½ point underdogs at home to another 2-6 team. My how things have changed since the departure of June Jones.

Hawaii still has a mathematical chance of making the Hawaii Bowl if it can win out but that scenario is about as likely as G.W. Bush being elected President of Iraq. Tonight is a winnable game for the Warriors but it will be tough.

Utah State QB Diondre Borel is a multi-threat nightmare, a poor man’s Jacory Harris and someone the Warriors will need to keep in check in order to have any chance at winning.

Offensively the Warriors cannot shoot themselves in the foot like they did last week versus the WolfPack. A 5th year Sr Tackle who I refuse to embarrass cannot continue to have 4 false start and 2 holding penaly performances if Hawaii has any shot at winning.

The odds are stacked against Hawaii but being the “homer” that I am, I predict a victory tonight and the end to the 6 game losing streak. Final score Hawaii 42 Utah State 37.

Nevada Preview

Tomorrow is Halloween so will it be Trick or Treat for the Warriors? Many in Hawaii feel the season is over so the answer will have to be Trick. The Warriors need to win 5 out of their 6 remaining games and a road victory at Reno is the first step to qualifying for the Hawaii Bowl. In 2005, the Warriors faced a similar situation needing to win the final 3 games of the season. It was an impressive feat considering the last 2 games were against Northwestern and Michigan State.

Unfortunately, the 2009 Warriors do not have Timmy Chang or Chad Owens and the list of injuries continue to grow. This week starting corner back Jeremy Bryant reinjured his left bicep meaning that redshirt freshman Kawika Ornellas will make his first start. Nevada is loaded on offense led by QB Colin Kapernick and HB Vai Taua. Last week the Wolfpack hung 70 points on Idaho and are coming off a 4 game winning streak. Look for tomorrow to be an offensive shoot out as the shallow Warrior Defense will not be able to stop the Nevada Scoring Machine.

The Hawaii offense should be firing on all cylinders this week. Hawaii QB Bryant Moniz is cleared to play after sustaining a concussion from a Boise cheap shot. Backing him up will be Brent Rausch who is making his return after injuring his pinky a day prior to the WASU game. At the start of the season Rausch was listed as number 2 on the dept chart followed by Moniz. The offense will be fine and should be able to score against Nevada.

If the Warriors have any chance of winning they will need to out score the Wolfpack and force turnovers. Coach McMackin had the Warriors practice strip drills all this week and hopefully it will pay off tomorrow. Win or lose it will be an exciting game and don’t worry about the weather as the temperature will be a comfortable 67 degrees.

UH needs a Perfect Storm for Boise State

The 6th rank Boise State Broncos are a football machine and the injury plagued Warriors will need a “Perfect Storm” to pull off a win tonight. This evening’s forecast is for heavy thunder showers but even that may not be enough.

Hawaii’s linebackers are slow and poor tacklers. Look for Boise State to exploit them often with slots receivers, tight ends, and running backs catching balls out of the back field. Too focused on stopping the run, the Warrior defense will be vulnerable to the short passing game and play action pass.

If the Warriors cannot at least slow down the Boise ground game, there is no question that it will be a long night. Unlike LaTech, Boise State is multi-dimensional meaning they can also air it out and points will come either by ground or air. If the Warriors have any hopes of an upset they will need to outscore the Bronco offensive machine. That seems doubtful as opposing offenses have made it to the Bronco “Redzone” a meager 8 times all season.

Without Rodney Bradley, the Warriors have no deep threat. The Bronco Defense will tee off on the slow possession receivers Hawaii still have healthy. Sophomore QB, Moniz had a very good game last week against Idaho, but the Boise defense is several notches above. They are faster, stronger and deeper than Idaho. Tonight is a true test for the red shirt sophomore as Boise will throw multiple blitz packages and zones coverages to try and confuse him.

The game may be a forgone conclusion but Boise State will still need to show up and beat the Warriors on their home turf. The last two times Boise State played here: December 2007 for the WAC Title and Dec 25 against ECU in the Hawaii Bowl, they lost. Hopefully this trend can continue with a win for Hawaii.

Idaho Game Recap

The Warriors lose 35-24 to a descent Idaho team they probably should have beaten. In the second half there is no excuse for Idaho to convert several 3rd and very longs over and over and over. When a team lets this happen to them repeatedly they will lose and that is what happened to the Warriors tonight. Hawaii did what it needed to get Idaho into 3rd and long passing situations. It is surprising that the Hawaii defense, which defends the pass everyday during practice, was unable to stop a run first team in obvious passing situations.

I am no football expert, but after the second time, someone with any sense would have found a way to cover the tight end and slot on the seam, post and deep in route and get some pressure on Enderle. Hawaii being unable to stop a 3rd and short is something we as Hawaii fans can accept. NFL prospect Woolridge was a 240lb bowling ball and the huge Idaho line pushed around the young and injury plague Hawaii D-line all day. Those 4 or 5, 3rd and long conversions by the Vandals were painful to watch and totally unacceptable.

In all of those 3rd and “eternities”, Idaho was not going to run. Doesn’t the defense have a nickel or dime package for those sorts of situations? Couldn’t someone on the defense get to Enderle in time before those deep routes had time to develop? The Idaho passing game is far from BYU or the Texas Tech Run and Shoot. The Hawaii defense is not supposed let Nathan Enderle and his average crew of receivers and tight ends exploit them as they did tonight. Was it a case of the players not executing or the coaching staff making the wrong call?

Next Saturday no doubt gets tougher for the struggling Warriors. Deep threat Ronnie Bradley is gone for the season with a broken leg meaning that the Boise State defense will sit on the short routes and tee off on the Warrior’s possession receivers. Nevertheless, the Warriors are fighters and anything can happen if they continue to fight and believe. Nothing would be better than a 2-4 Hawaii team killing Boise’s BCS chances on October 24th.





Because I do not have permission from the NCAA, I found this video on youtube that comes pretty close to what happened to the Warriors over and over and over.

Idaho Vandals

Idaho Vandals head coach Robb Akey’s believes in “climbing that ladder”. This upward focus and new attitude in Moscow has led to a quick start for the Vandals. They have rocketed to a 5-1 start with their only loss to Washington on the road. The recent addition of translucent panels to the east and west walls has added much needed light to the once drab Kibbie Dome and may signify a bright future for the program.

What does this mean for Warriors? Idaho is looking to “sack” the Warriors and become bowl eligible for the first time since 1998. Chris Tormey, the Idaho Head Coach at the time is currently coaching special teams and safeties for the Warriors. This game however will not come down to special teams. Idaho will try to run the ball down Hawaii’s throat and it is unlikely that the shallow Warrior front seven will be able to stop the trio of Demaundray Woolridge, Deonte Jackson and Princeton McCarthy. Run blitzing MacMackin will find it difficult to commit safeties for run support as Idaho’s passing attack is ranked 22nd in the nation led by junior QB Nathan Ederle. Saturday does not bode well for the Warriors.

The Warriors will need to have a much better game from walk-on QB Bryant Moniz and the receivers. The addition of sure tackling Richard Torres at Free Safety will give Mac some peace of mind. This is a “do or die” game for the Warriors. They need to play with desperation because a loss here would dash any chances for a Hawaii Bowl appearance on Christmas Day.

Mouse Davis

Though actually invented by Glenn “Tiger” Ellison, the modern Run & Shoot Offense we now know today had its beginnings with Mouse Davis during Portland State’s fabulous run in late 1970s and early 1980s. Mouse’s star pupil June Jones took the offense a step further bringing the offense to the NFL and later to the University of Hawaii. From 1999-2007, UH fans had the pleasure of seeing this unique offense run to perfection. Sadly with June now gone to SMU, the Hawaii Run & Shoot is now but a ghost of its former self.

This is not a condemnation of Ron Lee or Nick Rolovich because they are good “position” coaches. They are just not experienced enough to run a successful offense in the WAC and it is showing with each passing game. Losing games is bad for any coach but for inexperienced coaches without name recognition and NFL experience, the problem is exacerbated. Recruiting is hurt by losing and without a “June Jones” type many on the outside who associate Hawaii with the Run & Shoot will see the program based on Ron Lee and Rolovich’s resumes alone. Ron Lee’s resume reads successful high school assistant coach with a few years at Oregon Tech of the NAIA. Rolovich is a one year Division 1 starter with a couple of years coaching on the JUCO level. Not impressive at all for any prospect with NFL aspirations.

MacMackin took a calculated risk by not bringing in a solid offensive coordinator upon taking the Head Coaching Position at UH. June never made that mistake. He always went with someone whom he could trust on defense so that he could devote his time to the side of the ball he knew best, the offense. Mac was hoping that the momentum of the 12-0 season and June Jone’s legacy would carry over to recruiting and wins. He underestimated June’s ability to coach and run the offense. He thought that if he had good players, a Rolo and a Ron would be enough to do the job. Wrong!!!!!

UH desperately needs some senior leadership on the offensive side to reverse this negative downslide and bring vitality back to this once potent offense. Besides winning games, the new offensive coordinator must be able to consistently bring in solid BCS minus or Mid-Major plus athletes to play QB, WR, and O-line. Lastly, that person must keep an eye on the future and train a successor for his position, which June failed to do during his tenure at UH. If this is not done soon we are looking at the dark days of “Fred What Happened” coming back all over again.

Fresno State Game

42-17 is not as bad as it seems. Mac stuck to his guns leaving Bryant Moniz in when many would have pulled him. It was painful to see the offense struggle as they did but at least there were some positives towards the end. There can be no denying that the coaching staff is committed to the Run and Shoot. It sends a powerful message to the team and the fans that the Warriors are going to make the Run & Shoot work no matter what.

I am glad that this new UH staff has finally shown some decisiveness however what concerns me right now is that Bryant Moniz is not a Run and Shoot QB or the future of UH football. It seems that Mac is using Moniz as temp to fill in until Rausch can get healthy. I hope his strategy works because if Rausch cannot get back on the field there is no sense in playing Bryant Moniz, Shane Austin, or Inoke Funaki. Time should be invested in Freshman Cayman Shutter. Let him take his lumps and learn. If the Warriors are going to lose, let us at least use this year as an investment in his education with some valuable game time experience. June did this with true freshman Timmy Chang and last year at SMU with Bo Levi Mitchell, also a true freshman.

It is too much to hang a season’s hopes on an injury prone Brent Rausch. Even if he does get on the field for Boise State who can guarantee he will not get hurt again down the road. Cayman Shutter is the future play him now coach Mac!!!!